Mecto Amore
by skeletonflight
Summary: AU. Sam and Dean Winchester have moved schools a thousand times, and routine says that this move should be nothing different than the others. They come, they stay a few weeks, they leave. No feelings hurt, no sad girlfriends left behind. But this time is different for Dean. This time, it's not a girl that Dean has a piqued interest in...
1. Strange Face Of Love

**SUP YOU GUYS. So this is chapter one, yeah. I really wanted to write a high school Destiel fic so here it is. Please please please review and let me know if you like it, otherwise I won't continue. Please and thank you. I hope you enjoy it! Happy reading. It's an alternate universe, obviously. A few things remain the same but there are a lot of changes I made so that it would fit the story. If you have any suggestions or have any questions over anything message me or review and I will get back to you! **

_And so, it begins again. _

Dean Winchester strode through the doors of the high school, making a beeline for the office that lay to the right. It was October 1st, and the Winchester brothers are starting their first day at a new school. This wasn't the first time that they had to transfer schools. It was a commonality for them; it was strange for them to _not _change schools after a few weeks. Today they were starting a new school for the umpteenth time, and the ritual hadn't changed. Registering was the same. Walking into the classroom, sending a sly grin in the direction of the stares was the same. Introductions from the teacher…The same. Of course, that one almost always ended with some sort of sarcastic comment (or inappropriate euphemism if the teacher was young and attractive) from Dean.

After retrieving his schedule and map of the school, Dean made his way for the first class of the day. School had already started; fifteen minutes into first period. This was Dean's favorite way of joining a class. Crashing into the middle of it and making a scene. This school had eight classes a day, so for Dean that meant eight opportunities to make an interesting first impression.

He finally reached his designated classroom. There were paper leaves and pumpkins plastered all over the rectangular window that reached up the door, blocking the view from the outside. Dean allowed his hand to rest on the handle, his thoughts drifting to Sam. Sammy had no problem doing well in his classes, even though he had the curriculum changed on him so often. It was the people he had issues with. After a few seconds of reassuring himself that nothing bad was going to happen to him, he twisted the knob and walked into the class room. The teacher stopped talking, looking at Dean over the top of his glasses.

"Uh, hi. Dean Winchester. I just transferred here," Dean spoke, sweeping his gaze across the classroom. There were about 20 students crammed together in pairs. The teacher – Mr. Shurley the board said – made a noise of recognition and stood up.

"Ah, yes! I remember them telling me I had a transfer. Come in, please. Shut the door. I'm Mr. Shurley, but you can just call me Chuck. Mr. is far too formal. Class, say hello to Dean…" He trailed off.

"Winchester."

"Winchester! Say hello to Dean _Winchester_." There was a collective "_Hi Dean" _from the majority of the students.

"Hi." Dean smiled, locking eyes with a pretty brunette at the front of the classroom. The girl smiled back and glanced down at the paper on her desk.

"Dean, welcome. There is a seat available right beside Castiel," Chuck pointed to the back of the classroom where a hunched over boy sat alone. He went and sat, catching the eyes of a few other girls on the way back. Setting his bag down, Dean sat and held a hand out to Castiel.

"Castiel, is it?" He nodded, shaking Dean's hand after a slight hesitation. "Dean."

"Hello, Dean." Castiel's voice was rough and quiet. The sheet in front of him had _Castiel Novak_ written in hasty letters. As Chuck picked the lesson back up again Dean zoned out, making profiles of everyone around him. Castiel was wearing a suit. The tie was dark blue, the opposite of his eyes, which almost looked like ice. His dark hair was tousled and his lips were pursed. The whole look was topped off with a tan trench coat.

_Strange… But who am I to judge._ Dean thought. His entire wardrobe consisted of his Dad's old brown leather jacket and an array of plaid button ups thrown over a t-shirt. Fashion didn't really matter when there was a large chance of getting blood all over your clothes, but Dean wasn't about to go around looking like the homeless person that he was. The address on his school records was forged; his dad's Impala was his true home. Always has been, and always will be. The countless motel rooms meant nothing. The one they were staying at now wasn't that bad, 2 full beds and a pull out couch. The shower wasn't bad either, the water pressure was actually good for once.

The rest of the day carried on very routine. Castiel was in 3 more of his classes. The pretty brunette – Lisa, he learned – was in 4 others. He had to admit, the eye candy at this school satisfied him.

There were a few… Interesting characters, too. Some of them pushing down right bizarre, which was surprising. Usually Dean doesn't find such characters at a school, but he figured it was about time to find a few exciting people in a school setting.

At the end of the day, Dean waited by the curb for his father. Sam sat beside him, moping at a text book that lay in his lap.

"How'd it go?" Dean asked, looking at Sam expectantly.

"The exact same as every other time we've moved, Dean." Sam snapped, the tone of his voice ending the conversation. As their father pulled up to the curb, Dean rolled his eyes. Sam got like this every time they moved. Dean had gotten used to it fairly quickly; it was about time that Sam did, too.

Later that night, Dean sat on the pull out that he had claimed for himself, shoving a sandwich down his throat. Sam was working on something for school (he had homework already? What the hell) and their father was out working on the hunt. He would usually take Dean with him, not trusting Sam just yet to hunt with them. Today was only research, however. Plus, during the school year, they always tried to play it safe so that Dean didn't have any unexplained bruises or broken arms.

It was hard at first, moving around all the time, being worried that this night, this was the night that their father wasn't going to come home. Over time Dean developed nervous ticks when waiting for him to return. Looking out the window every five minutes. Jumping up every time the rev of an engine passed by. Reaching for the knife in the waistband of his jeans whenever there was a random scream. Dean was a nervous wreck inside, but you could never tell. He made a vow to himself years ago to be strong for Sammy, and showing weakness wasn't the way to do that. Dean was seventeen, pretty soon it would be time to him to be hunting on his own and showing Sam the ropes.

"How long do you think we'll be here?" Sam said, his voice quiet. Dean glanced up from his sandwich and swallowed.

"I don't know. Dad said we won't be here for long." They had no way of knowing. John Winchester never told his sons what he was hunting, why he was hunting it. It could be a vampire, demon, wendigo… Ever since their mother was killed by Yellow-Eyes, he went into a frenzy of hunting any supernatural being that he could find. Yellow-Eyes was dead, but that didn't stop him.

"He's said that before."

"Well, I don't know. You know how dad gets. He said it would only take a couple of weeks, that it was hardly even worth registering for school."

"The last time he said that, we were stuck at that school with those god-awful uniforms for three months."

"That's… You make a point." Blue slacks were not Dean's cup of tea. Sighing, he got up and plopped down beside Sam. "Listen, I know it's hard on you sometimes. I get that, I've been doing this transferring thing longer than you have. But… You just gotta man up. Bite the bullet, and in a few more years you won't have to do it anymore. All three of us can hunt together. It'll be fun!"

"Assuming dad survives that long."

"Sam!"

"What?"

"Don't say crap like that. Dad will be fine. _We_ will be fine."

"You're a junior, Dean. I'm only thirteen. I still have forever until school is over." He slammed the book in front of him shut and got up. "And besides, what if I don't _want_ to hunt when I grow up?"

"What are you talking about? Why wouldn't you want to hunt?" Sam just looked at him. Dean threw his hands up in exasperation.

"I'm done talking about it."

"Fine."

A few days laer, Sam and Dean had woken up to see their father face down on the bed. There were three brown bottles sitting empty on the bedside table. His shoes were splattered with mud and the snores that were coming from him were unearthly.

"God, he sounds like a freaking freight train." Dean mumbled around his toothbrush. Sam didn't reply. _He must still be mad at me from last night. Whatever. He's just a little kid, he'll understand one day. _"Well, I guess we're walking to school." With no driver's license of his own, both of the boys had to rely on their father to take them places, including school. Usually they tried renting a motel close to the school as this happened often, but they were out of luck this time. Two and a half miles wasn't far, but at this rate, they were going miss classes.

"Barely here for a week and we're already late. Awesome." Sam muttered as they began parting ways once they reached the school.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Have a good day!" He ran off, leaving Dean scowling at his retreating figure. Chuck just raised an eyebrow when Dean walked in and took his seat next to Castiel.

Dean liked Castiel. They got along, and it was nice having what felt like an actual friend for once. They had only known each other for a few days, but with all the classes they had together and the fact that Castiel was always sitting by himself gave Dean a good opportunity to get to know him. It was a shame they weren't going to be living here for long. Castiel was always so deadpan, Dean had made it his goal to make him laugh at least once before they moved.

"You are late." Castiel said softly, peering at him. Dean smirked. "Why is that?"

"Good observation, Sherlock. My, uh, my dad couldn't find his car keys this morning." He shrugged. Castiel thought about it for a moment before nodding and turning back to the lesson. Dean chuckled, earning a strangle look.

"What?"

"Nothing, Castiel, nothing. Listen, do you have a nick name or something I can call you? Castiel is a mouthful."

"I don't…"

"Cas! How about Cas? Cas is good, right?" Dean lightly clapped him on the shoulder.

"Cas is… Fine."

"Awesome."


	2. Bad Company

**Fun Fact: Every chapter I'm putting in a sexual innuendo between Dean and Cas. Bonus points to whoever can find all of them correctly. And yes, there is one in chapter 1 and in this chapter. Enjoy!**

"Dean, why are you making me do this?" Castiel shouted over the loud whip of the wind and the thump of the classic rock. His shaggy hair fluttered from the air rushing in the window. Dean just turned and smiled, smiled that half grin that just barely flashed his teeth. It had been a few weeks since Dean had moved to town, and Castiel was grateful. He didn't have many friends at the school… If any. Dean treated him the same as everyone else, but the difference was Dean was genuine in his questions and curiosity. Everyone else just wanted something to gossip about him; the silent boy that no one knew a lick about. Dean seemed to truly want to _know_ him, and the feeling of knowing that was… Strange. Castiel tried not to think too deep about it if he would help it, but the majority of the time the thoughts slipped through.

Right now, however, Castiel couldn't even _hear_ himself think. He was perched tensely on the seat of Deans car. Well, his father's car. Castiel had asked why Dean didn't drive every day, but Dean said something something something his dad needed it for work. Castiel guessed he had the day off, as Dean was speeding down the road in it. The street was lit by the fading light of the day, and a cold chill had sunk through Castiel's clothes. Dean was dragging him to a party of some jock at school. Castiel wasn't sure Dean was even invited, but he had mentioned something about Lisa being there. Castiel had never even been to a real party before. He doubted that the rarely celebrated birthdays in his family counted.

He looked over at Dean, noting the way his elbow was sticking casually out of the open window. His shoulders were relaxed, of course. Dean was _always_ relaxed. There wasn't one tense thing that Castiel had noted about him in the weeks that they have been friends. He was always joking, always laughing even when Castiel wasn't. It was very refreshing having such a positive person in his life. It wasn't like Castiel's family was mean or anything; their sense of humor was mostly nonexistent. Well, except for Gabriel.

"It'll be fun, Cas. Trust me," Dean called over the music. Castiel just squinted at him for a moment before turning his head away. He flinched as Dean swerved into the opposite lane to pass a car that was doing the speed limit.

"If we can get there _alive._" Castiel said breathlessly.

"What was that?" Castiel just shook his head. The house where the party was held was about thirty minutes from the school, but "I can get us here in fifteen," Dean had winked. Castiel had rolled his eyes, not believing a word he had said.

Oh, how he was wrong.

Sure enough, they pulled up to the house minutes later. Cars lined the street, and Castiel felt unnerved. The home was in the middle of the woods, but it must have been convenient. There were no neighbors to call in noise complaints.

Dean parked far enough away from the door to keep the car away from any drunken teenagers that stumbled outside. He rolled the window up and cut the engine, jumping out. Castiel paused for a moment before rushing out after him. Trying not to flinch against the cold that seemed to cut through his layers of clothes. Dean just stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking like the cold didn't bother him at all.

"You'll have a good time. I'll make sure of that." Dean said, gripping Castiel's shoulder and shaking it before pushing him forward.

"I won't know anyone there," He protested lamely. The wind disturbed the falling leaves on the trees, forcing a light rustle.

"You know me." Castiel gave him a look.

"Dean…"

"Hey, listen. Is it because they're kids from school?" No response. Castiel hated talking about how little he got along with everyone there. "Cas, don't worry about it. You'll be with me, you'll be fine." As the two boys got closer to the house, the music got louder, and Castiel could almost recognize the dong. Dean rapped harshly on the door with the side of his fist, hoping to be heard from the inside. Laughter penetrated through the walls momentarily. A few seconds passed and the door swung open. A skinny brunette girl stood there. Castiel had no idea who she was—she didn't go to their school.

"Who are you?" She said, directing it toward Dean. Castiel stared at the plastic cup in her hand.

"Friend of Lisa's." Dean smiled at her. "You?"

"Meg. This your date?" Meg turned toward Castiel.

"His name is Castiel. Wanna let us in?" Megs eyes lingered for a moment, watching as he shifted on his feet uncomfortably. Pulling the door open all the way, she looked back at Dean and grinned.

"Sure." Dean waltzed past her.

"Thank you…" Castiel murmured awkwardly as he passed Meg.

"Not a problem." She clicked her tongue and smiled up at him. Castiel watched as Dean's eyes scanned the room. It was packed full of people. Some of them Castiel recognized from school, some of them he didn't know at all. The music was even more deafening to his ears, and he almost couldn't hear the door slam shut behind them.

"Dean," He started. "I don't-" Something thin and blond stepped in front of Castiel, blocking his line of vision.

"_Cassie?_" Castiels face went slack, and Dean looked over.

"Balthazar?" He saw Deans eyes squint and give Balthazar a once over.

"Ah, Castiel, it's been ages!" Balthazar reached out and gripped him, giving him a tight squeeze. Meg raised her eyebrows.

"I just saw you last week," Castiel replied with a huff as Balthazar released him and stepped back He turned to Dean and spread his arms open, but Dean just stared.

"You must be Dean." He said, a wide grin splitting his face. Castiel shifted on his feet and scowled when Dean looked over at him.

"Yeah." Dean looked back at Balthazar. "And you are?

"My name's Balthazar, Cassie's estranged older brother." Dean's face seemed to relax. Castiel blinked. "He talks about you all the time. I have to say, you're much prettier than I imagined." Before Castiel was able to see his reaction to what Balthazar said, his brother carried on, a huge grin on his face. "Alas, I have to be off. I'll see you whenever I decide to crash Mum and Dad's again." He tipped an imaginary hat. "Dean." Leaving with a wink and a smile, he walked off, disappearing into the crowd.

Thirty minutes later, Dean was standing a few feet away, chatting with Lisa. A brown bottle dangled precariously between his fingers, but not once did it slip. He brought it to his lips and tilted it back. Castiel averted his gaze, turning back to Meg. She was smirking up at him. He frowned into the drink Dean had shoved in his hand, noting it was half empty. Not due to his drinking, though. Half of it had splattered on his shoes from being jostled around. His soles stuck to the floor, and he felt bad for whoever was going to have to clean it up once the party was over.

"You're not going to drink that?" Someone else bumped into him.

"No…I mean, I don't—" Castiel grimaced.

"Oh ho ho," Meg laughed. "You're completely out of your zone right now, aren't you?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Poor baby. Why don't we stow away, I'll show you a good time." At that he tugged on his collar, the tie already hanging a little loose around his neck, and looked everywhere but in Meg's general location. She made a noise- something between a scoff and a chortle. "Well, well, well. I never figured someone who showed up at a party like this with a guy like that—" Castiels eyes cut to Dean and the almost empty bottle and the way his hips leaned toward Lisa—and then back to Meg. "—Would be such a little angel. What do you _do_ in your free time? _Church_?"

He has gotten really good at this "not responding" thing.

"Oh, my god." Meg chuckled, astonished.

"My parents are religious. They make me go. I don't really—it doesn't matter to me." Castiel interjected quickly. He didn't know why he was defending himself to this girl that he didn't even know. She was patronizing him, Castiel _hated_ being patronized.

"Well in that case, let loose a little." She winked. He opened his mouth to respond when Dean appeared beside him, Lisa waiting back where they were talking. Her eyes were boring into the back of his head, and Dean was grinning like an idiot.

"Hey, Cas, listen. Lisa and I are gonna go practice our, uh, horizontal tango. Will you be okay here for a little while?" Castiel stared at him, slightly terrified.

"I'll be back before the party is over, I swear." He reached over and nudged at the cup with his own bottle. "Besides, looks like you're getting into the spirit. I'll see you in a few." He opened his mouth to protest, but Dean spun on his heel and walked back to Lisa, slinging his arm over her shoulders. They walked out the front door, stopping only briefly so Dean could turn his head and wink. Meg watched the whole thing go down with a silent smirk.

"You look like a little lost puppy without him."

"He's the only one that likes me here."

"I like you."

"You don't know me."

"Sure I do. Your name is Castiel. You're best friends with someone who has somehow managed to lay he hottest ticket in town.. I can't blame her, though. Dean is a sight to look at." Her lips twitched. "Is he new in town? I've never seen him before."

"He just moved here at the beginning of October. He told me his dad work moves him around and that he won't be here for long."

"Oh, what a shame." Meg jutted out her bottom lip in a pout. Someone else shoved into Castiel. Thankfully, at this point, his cup was too empty to spill on his shoes unless someone pushed him over. There was a moment of awkward silence. "You don't talk much, do you?"

"I don't have anything to say to you." He replied, peering over at the front door.

"Ouch. That hurts, Clarence." Castiel turned and gave her a strange look. She walked over to him, slipping a hand under his trench coat. "You look uncomfortable. Take a drink. _Relax._ I'm sure Dean would want you to."

"I need some fresh air." He said suddenly, spinning out of her grip. He stalked off, ignoring Meg calling his name, and shoved his cup into the chest of someone that walked past him. There was a swinging porch chair, thankfully unoccupied. He nabbed it. There was a couple making out right outside the tree line. Castiel squinted at the two forms, but the male's body type was too puffy to be Dean. He sighed and leaned back, crossing his arms against the chill. The toe of his alcohol soaked shoe pushed against the porch floor, swinging him back and forth.

It brought him back to a memory of when his mom would rock him in her arms late in the night if he had a nightmare. He still had them, but when Castiel was eleven he stopped coming into his parent's room crying because of imaginary terrors. He didn't want his brothers making fun of him for being a mama's boy anymore. He was the youngest of five. Gabriel and Castiel were the only ones still living at home. Lucifer was off, somewhere in Kentucky. Anna had gotten married and refuses contact with anyone in the family… Castiel missed Anna. She was the only one that seemed to understand Castiel's struggles in school. Luci, Gabe, and Balthazar all dropped out sometime in high school. Gabriel just sat around in his underwear with a plethora of candy wrappers around him, and Balthazar had disappeared to a couple foreign countries for a few years and returned with a strange accent. It was very dysfunctional… Anna so far has been the only Novak child to graduate high school, and Castiel was hell bent on following her footsteps.

Castiel didn't know how much time he wasted ignoring the people coming and going, ignoring the occasional sound of vomiting coming from the brushes. He was lost in thought, deep thoughts of his family. Meg never showed back up; she probably found another lost boy to prey on. Dean finally came back up the steps, no Lisa in sight. His fly was undone. He eyed Castiel sitting by himself and plopped in the seat beside him, causing the chair to shake.

"What're you doing out here by yourself?" Castiel shrugged and looked out at the road.

"Your fly is undone." He said, seeing Dean glance down at his crotch. He shot Castiel a look and zipped up.

"Thanks, Sherlock. Answer the question. You and Meg seemed to be getting along."

"You're not very observant, then."

"And you're a pain in my ass." Castiel continued staring. "Listen, my dad called. He needs the Impala, we gotta run. That fine with you?"

"I thought it was your dad's night off." Not that it was a problem, Castiel leaving the party. The music that came muffled from the walls was giving him a headache, and the smell of puked up alcohol was making him sick.

"Yeah, I thought so too." Something changed in Dean's voice, and Castiel looked over in surprise. Now Dean was staring away, a frown adorning his mouth. It only lasted a second before he glanced back over, his face brightening. "Anyway, let's hit the road, I don't want him to get pissed at me."

Dean left the window up on the way back, speeding down the road just as fast as he had on the way there. It was a silent trip back, save for the sound of the engine and Dean's humming. A little less than twenty minutes later, Dean pulled the Impala up the long drive way to the Novak home. It was a nice home. Two stories, the paint about as pure white as possible.

"Sorry about," Dean coughed. "Leaving you behind." Castiel just shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. You and Lisa… I hear her talking about you a lot." Dean grinned. "She likes you."

"Yeah." Dean sighed. "I'll see you Monday, Cas." Castiel turned so that he couldn't see his face drop and got out of the car.


	3. Sweet Emotion

Dean awoke with a start and a slight gasp, greeted by the dark of the motel room. The sheets were tangled around his legs, and the short lived nightmare started to fade from his memory. He groaned, rubbing his eyes. After kicking the sheets off of his legs he rolled over. A dim light glowed up from the alarm clock that lay on the bedside table. It read 3:12 a.m. Turning his head, he looked over at Sam. He lay safe and sound in the opposite bed, the sheets wrapped around him like a cocoon. Nothing but a mop of hair was visible. Their dad was a few towns over tracking down someone who might have knowledge on the hunt, which meant for once both of the boys got a bed.

He twisted himself upright, planting his feet on the rough carpet. It was cold in the room, and goose bumps rose along his arms.

_I really ought to get us some pajamas for Christmas…_ Dean thought, looking down at his boxers. Fifty five degrees outside and they slept in nothing but a thin t-shirt and underwear.

Dean stood, stretching his arms over his head with a quiet groan. Waddling over to the bathroom, he stepped lightly, trying not to wake Sammy up.

"No need to wake Sam up just because you can't deal with being spooked by a few nightmares_…_ " He muttered under his breath, shutting the bathroom door before he flicked the lights on. The only problem was, it wasn't just "a few nightmares". Dean had them at least four times a week, and those were only the good weeks. Lately they had been calming down, but every once and a while a bad one would hit. Like tonight. They always varied in intensity. Some nightmares were just memories his mind was reliving of a vampire or demon finding them to kill them as revenge against their father. Other times it would be a made up situation of Sam or their father being brutally slaughtered in front of Dean as he stood helplessly, unable to save them.

Dean splashed water on his face, chewing on the inside of his lip. Their father had wasted no time in taking the Impala and squealing out of the parking lot once Dean had made it back from the party, a small duffle bag thrown in the back seat. Dean had stood for a few minutes, glaring out the window as Sam made remarks on the stench of booze and sex that clung to his clothes. Dean had shot him a look. Sam just rolled his eyes, cracking open some science book for school.

"Three o'clock on a Monday morning," He sighed. "And I'm not asleep. What a strange, cruel world." Killing the lights, he slowly made is back out of the bathroom. After he made it back to his bed, he lay there for the next two hours, lost in thought, unable to sleep. Sam stirred eventually, lifting his head up off the pillow. Dean was pulling his jeans on, a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth.

"Dean? Why are you awake already?" Sam said groggily.

"It's a free country. I can wake up whenever I want to." Dean replied. Sam just blinked up at him. Once both of them were ready and the sun was decently raised, they began their trek to school. It had warmed up slightly, but Dean still kept the back of his jacket collar raised against the wind. His backpack strained against his shoulders. Sighing, he looked sideways at Sammy, at the heavy bag of his own hanging off his shoulders.

"How are you doing in school?" Dean began awkwardly, scratching the top of his eyebrow with his thumb. Dean himself was doing fine. Well, his definition of fine. Mostly B's and C's, the only A's he had were in classes that he had with Castiel. Partly from cheating off of him, partly from Castiel going out of his way to help Dean understand the subject.

"Fine, as usual." Sam replied, flipping his hair out of his eyes. "Ms. Hael is crazy, though."

"Who's Ms. Hael?"

"She's the history teacher. Nice lady and all, but she always goes on these long tangents of righting wrongs and Jesus and stuff like that." He kicked a rock across the sidewalk.

"Oh. Well if you can put up with her for a few more weeks you'll be fine." A car flew past them, ruffling their hair. They continued to talk, relaxing into an easy conversation. Every couple of minutes a car would race past them, and Sam would look over at it dejectedly. Dean didn't mind the walk to the school. It was just a few more minutes that he would get to spend with Sammy—And in Sammy's point of view, time without their father.

Sam's relationship with their father was… strained, to say the least. He hated the idea of their father hunting, and in turn hated the idea of _Dean_ hunting. He never hesitated to voice his opinion about it, and boy did he have an opinion.

"Met any girls yet?" Dean reached over and nudged Sam with his elbow. A pink blush spread across his cheeks.

"Yeah, there's one. I like her a lot."

"Well? What's her name?"

"Jessica." He said, smiling. "She's super sweet. Smart, too. What about you? Have you met anyone?" Dean opened his mouth to mention Lisa when a shiny black car pulled up beside them, causing them to pause to see who it was. The window buzzed down, and Castiel stuck his head out.

"Dean? Do you need a ride?" He blinked at the two boys, glancing over at Sammy.

"Oh, sure. Thanks." Dean slid in first, Sammy after him. He made a double take seeing Balthazar—Castiel's weird older brother—driving.

"Why are you walking?" Castiel spoke, twisting in his seat to look at Dean. "Does your father not give you a ride?" Dean saw Sam bristle slightly out of the corner of his eye.

"He had to leave early this morning." Dean responded, shrugging.

"You have my number. If you need a ride, all you have to do is call." He said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. Balthazar was smiling slyly in the driver's seat, looking at Dean through the rearview mirror.

"It's nice to see you again, Dean."

"Yeah, same with you."

"Balthazar has decided to stay in town and take me to school," Castiel cut in just as Balthazar opened his mouth to speak again. "Which, I have to say, is a relief. Gabriel is wreckless when driving. Even more so than you, Dean."

Dean smirked and then glanced over at Sam, twisting his hands uncomfortably.

"Oh, ah. Balthazar. Cas. This is my little brother, Sam." Dean said, reaching over and shaking Sam's shoulder for a second. Balthazar nodded, and Castiel turned, reaching his hand out to him.

"It's nice to meet you." He said to Sam.

"You too." Minutes later they pulled up to the school. Dean followed Sam out, slamming the door behind him. Castiel paused for a moment, and Dean saw him frowning at Balthazar. A moment passed. He finally climbed out of the car, his cheeks pink with the slightest hint of a blush. Dean could hear Balthazar laughing before Castiel shut the door a little too hard. He didn't meet Dean's gaze. Balthazar pealed out of the school, and Sam and Dean stared at Castiel's retreating figure.

"What's wrong with him?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow. Dean gave a little shrug, adjusting the backpack hanging off his shoulders.

"Hell if I know. Balthazar probably said something to piss him off." Dean responded. "I'll see you after class." He started for the school, thankful that Castiel had decided to pause and wait by the doors for him. His arms were folded. Someone pushed past Dean, rushing into the building.

"You okay?" Dean asked him, knocking him in the arm lightly with his fist. Castiel looked up, pursing his lips. He seemed to ponder something for a moment before nodding his head.

"I am fine. Balthazar is a pain, that is all." He shoved himself off the wall, the tail end of his trench coat flapping slightly. Dean followed him into the school, watching Castiel's eyes drift from person to person. Since Dean had come and befriended him, Castiel once said, most people that usually gave him a hard time began leaving him alone. Some of them were actually striking up a conversation with him. Dean attributed it to the fact that surprisingly most of the people at the school were friendly with Dean, so it was rubbing off on Castiel. Dean _was_ Castiel's best friend, albeit his only one.

Dean was glad that, even if temporarily, he was able to make Castiel's life a little easier.

"Yeah, he seems like a nice guy," Dean frowned.

"He does have good intentions," Castiel responded, missing the sarcastic tone in Dean's voice. "They just sometimes come off wrong." Dean's mind flashed back to a time when he had tried helping his father with a case when he was much younger. Of course, he had screwed it all up. And, of course, his father got mad and yelled at him, but no one was seriously hurt.

No one important, anyway.

"I know how that feels." Dean said, rolling his shoulders back.

"Hey Dean, hey Castiel!" A girl smiled at the two of them. Dean couldn't remember her name even though she shared a class with the both of them. Castiel looked at her, startled for a moment, before nodding in response. Dean gave her a little two fingered salute.

They reached Castiel's locker, and Dean watched him as he began pushing books roughly in and out of his backpack, transferring things over.

"The other day you said he wasn't living with you anymore." Dean wondered out loud.

"Who?" Castiel glanced up at him.

"Balthazar. You said he didn't live with you anymore. He was 'estranged'."

"Ah, yes. He moved away from our family when he was sixteen. He still talks to our parents, however. That's a plus. Anna and Balthazar never have anything kind to say."

"Why not?" Dean leaned against the locker beside Castiel's, peering at him. Cas was usually very reluctant to talk about his home life, so Dean jumped at every chance he had to learn a bit more about him.

"Our parents kicked Lucifer out, accusing him of a whole world full of irrelevant nonsense. Anna got angry because they hid that she was adopted from another family until she was almost eighteen. Gabriel and I are the only ones still there, but Gabriel is one prank away from being kicked out too."

"So you're the star child, huh?"

"I suppose so."

"No offense, really, but your parent's gave you all _really_ strange names."

"We were all named after angels. They are extremely religious. That is why I wear this all the time," He dropped his bag to the floor and pulled open his coat, showing more of the dark suit he wore under it. "They expect us to dress as if at any time, God will come down and choose us for his own. I'm the only one who wears the suits, though." He frowned. Dean reached over, pulling Castiel's twisted blue tie straight.

"Well, if you're going to wear it, you might as well wear it correctly." Castiel watched him as he pushed the knot tighter. His eyes flickered down and back up. Dean finished, pulling away.

"Better?" Castiel asked. His brow furrowed.

"Better. Still weird. But better." Castiel shrugged and pushed the locker closed, swinging his backpack back onto his shoulders. "It's strange that your parent's think that about God."

"Do you not believe?" A slight ting of surprise sounded in Castiel's voice.

"I have no doubt that something will come. Whether it is God or not, that's debatable." Dean never really had faith. His dad didn't either, but Sammy, of course, held a belief. Castiel made a little noise in the back of his throat.

"We will all know in due time, Dean."

"I suppose so."

"How are you and Lisa?" Castiel asked suddenly, his voice a little more deadpan than usual. "Are you two…?"

"Together? Well, yeah." Dean looked at him funny. They began walking down the hallway, Dean saying greeting whoever spoke to him.

"I am glad you're fitting in here," Castiel said. "I've been here my whole life and…" He stopped suddenly, looking at the floor.

"And what? Have you never had a girlfriend?" Castiel suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable.

"I have had one. Her name was Daphne, but she moved away a few months after we started courting."

"No one since her?" Cas shook his head, continuing to stare at the floor. He cleared his throat.

"You and Lisa are nice together. I can see that you like her a lot." Dean grinned at him, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

"You got that right. We'll find you someone, Cas. I promise." He mumbled something, just quiet enough for Dean not to be able to hear. "What was that?"

"Nothing." The first bell rang, causing Castiel to jerk his head up. "Let's get to class." He started walking just ahead of Dean. He stared confused at the back of Castiel's head, his eyes grazing over the messy, almost-black hair. They made it in, and Castiel made a bee-line for the desk he has sat in since the beginning of the year. Dean perched at the edge of Lisa's desk, cracking jokes until Chuck walked in.

The rest of the period, Castiel rolled a pencil in his hands. Dean wasn't sure what the matter was, he just assumed that he Cas was touchy about Daphne.

_I shouldn't have asked. _Dean thought, twisting his lips into a scowl. He rested his head down in his arms, and for the rest of the period he felt eyes watching him.


End file.
